Bandipora: As being cut off from the world owing to thick blanket of snow on Bandipora-Gurez road, the Gurez Valley has inaugurated a festive start to 2025 with its first “snow cricket tournament.”
The tournament, which began in Dawar, a district in Gurez Valley of North Kashmir’s Bandipora, has made the winter landscape a festive one. A large crowd of locals witnessed this unique sporting event on a snow-covered field.
As per the details collected by the news agency—JKNS, locals said this is the first snow cricket tournament of 2025 in Gurez. Winters in Gurez Valley keep kids indoors because it snows so heavily. Noticing this, the organizing committee has started the tournament as a form of entertainment for young residents of the valley.
This is a much-needed event for the people of Gurez, particularly for the youth who usually remain indoors,” said Bhat Mustafa, a local resident. He said, now they have the opportunity to step out and engage in healthy activities like cricket. “We aim to make this snow cricket tournament a yearly tradition,” he added.
Another local said the goal of this tournament it steering children away from detrimental habits like smoking and drug use by encouraging their involvement in sports.
Similarly, he also urged the government to increase support and said, “It would be highly helpful if winter sports were given such promotion in Gurez Valley, just like Gulmarg and Sonamarg. The community and organizers have played their part, and with more government support, these events could increase several folds.”
Notably, locals wish that the Government will grasp the opportunity and seize this initiative to develop the tourist infrastructure and winter sports in the region.—(JKNS)
